CONTENTS

Todays meeting between Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and
Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu was postponed at Christofias
initiative, after statements by Eroglu who questioned the basis of the
talks.

In statements, Christofias said that he asked for the postponement of
the meeting with a view to avoid a crisis and a deadline at the talks
and asked for the issue to be discussed by the two leaders advisers
George Iacovou and Kudret Ozersay adding that the Turkish Cypriot side
agreed to this.

Christofias and Eroglu had a very brief discussion at the venue where
direct talks are held this morning since Eroglu went there before the
Greek Cypriot sides request for the postponement of the meeting was
conveyed to him.

We talked a bit about this process. This was accepted by him. It is
clear that Eroglu came under a big pressure from its opposition last
week and it seems that it is under this pressure that he made these
statements. Everyone is under some pressure. Either we have the courage
to go on, on the basis which is crystal clear or every time that we are
under attack from our domestic front we will review our positions, he
added.

Asked if Eroglu does not want this and is under pressure, Christofias
said I dont know. I cant talk on Eroglus behalf.

Christofias noted that he cannot act in this way. I myself am under
attack from various sides but I continue not because I dont take them
into consideration. But I have committed myself as President of the
Republic, as the interlocutor of the Greek Cypriot side, as the leader
of the Greek Cypriot side and I want to honour these commitments
towards the UN and the other side, he added.

He stressed that if Turkey means what it says, that it wants a
settlement by December, this settlement will be found if we continue
from where the process was left and if we honour the commitments which
the interlocutors undertook in the past. Otherwise we will not be able
to find a settlement by December or any December, he added.

The President reiterated the commitment of the Greek Cypriot side for a
settlement here and now, noting that this requires a change of the
Turkish side, or continuation of the talks from where they were left.

Asked about the UN stance, Christofias recalled that UN Secretary
Generals Special Adviser for Cyprus Alexander Downer has made a
statement on behalf of the Secretary General, adding that the UN
statement and position cannot be retracted.

Asked if everything agreed with former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet
Ali Talat must be the basis for the negotiations, Chriostofias noted
that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayiip Erdogan himself had said that
Eroglu would have to accept the things agreed between Christofias and
Talat and to continue from where talks were left.